Devices that fire frangible projectiles are known in the art. For example, marking guns (commonly known as paintball guns or markers) typically use compressed gas to propel frangible projectiles. The frangible projectiles commonly have a gelatinous or plastic shell designed to break upon impact. Typically, the shells are filled with a marking material, such as paint, and/or an immobilizing material, such as a noxious chemical.
These types of devices have a wide variety of applications. For example, a popular recreational use is in paintball games, in which opposing sides attempt to seek out and “shoot” one another with paintballs. Likewise, law enforcement personnel employ frangible projectiles with immobilizing materials for crowd control.
In addition to paintball markers, other marking devices exist that disperse a marking fluid. For example, paintball grenades are often used in paintball games as another way to target the opposing side. Paintball grenades typically have a bladder filled under pressure with a marking fluid that discharges upon impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,672 for a “Nonlethal Hand Grenade” describes an example paintball grenade with an elastic tube filled under pressure with a marking fluid. The tube has an open end through which the marking fluid discharges upon impact. Prior to being thrown, the open end of the tube is folded over and a ball is retained inside the tube to prevent discharge. When the pin is released, the open end of the tube is supposed to straighten. The ball dislodges upon impact so that marking fluid is discharged out the open end of the tube. One problem with this type of design is that the open end of the tube may not fully straighten when the pin is removed due to the tube remaining in the folded position for an extended period of time prior to use. Instead, the open end may remain somewhat kinked, which narrows the passageway through which the marking fluid can be discharged. If this happens, this can lead to a shortened discharge distance and unsatisfactory spray pattern.
According to one aspect, the present invention provides a paintball grenade that disperses a marking fluid upon impact. In one embodiment, the paintball grenade includes a flexible, resilient tube sealed at both ends. The tube includes a distended portion containing pressurized marking fluid and a side discharge port for discharging the marking fluid along a discharge axis that is approximately transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tube. A blocking member is disposed in the tube that is movable between a closed position that prevents fluid communication between the distended portion of the tube and the discharge port and an open position that allows fluid communication between the marking fluid and the discharge port. When the paintball grenade is thrown and impacts an object, this results in hydrostatic shock through the marking fluid, which moves the blocking member from the closed position to the open position, thereby discharging the marking fluid through the discharge port onto surrounding objects.
In some embodiments, the paintball grenade could include a lever assembly proximate the first end of the tube. The lever assembly may have an internal cavity dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the tube. For example, the first end of the tube could be folded over in the cavity. In some cases, the lever assembly includes a first member pivotally coupled with a second member. Some embodiments include a pin that is pulled from the lever prior to throwing the paintball grenade. For example, the first member may have a hole that is alignable with a hole in the second member and the pin could extend through the holes to prevent pivoting therebetween prior to the grenade being thrown. Depending on the circumstances, the first end of the tube may be folded around the pin. Typically, due to the resiliency of the tube, the first end of the tube urges the first member to pivot with respect to the second member.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included within this description and be within the scope of the invention.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principals of the invention. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.